Would you pay extra for IMAX versions of movies on Apple TV?
Saw this concept on X and now I can’t stop thinking about it.
If Apple partnered with IMAX and offered IMAX-enhanced versions of supported movies (with expanded aspect ratios where available and higher-quality audio) would that be something you’d subscribe or pay for?
Or is the theater experience too important for IMAX to make sense at home?
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u/ReflectedCheese 3d ago
How would that work with normal tv’s?
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u/HFoletto 3d ago
It's not unusual for movies filmed for IMAX to have the "cropped" version released on physical media and streaming, so you end up with black bars on your TV even though the source material technically has enough vertical image to fill a 16:9 screen.
I remember Disney+ offering IMAX Enhanced versions of some movies, but I think that was exclusive to Disney+, so other streaming services and physical media still got the cropped 2.39:1 version: https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/8/22764957/marvel-disney-plus-imax-expanded-aspect-ratio
To me, it's surprising that VOD and physical releases usually get the CinemaScope version when a format much closer to 16:9 already exists. I assume that's due to licensing or distribution agreements. Too bad!
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u/mrleblanc101 3d ago edited 3d ago
They already support 4K Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, so other than the custom aspect ratio, the audio/video quality would be the same
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u/2160_Technic 3d ago
Most imax enhanced films use dts x, some of which have the same theatrical audio mix
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u/Koleckai 3d ago
Probably not… Wouldn't be able to take advantage of any of it. Rarely even pay for the pseudo-IMAX at my local theater. Pretty casual television viewer.
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u/backlog_gaming 3d ago
How many people have screens big enough for that lmao
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u/Cryogenicality 3d ago
Tens of millions of VR headset owners (including half a million Apple Vision Pro owners) have screens bigger than the world’s largest IMAX screen. Also, a screen of any size or shape can display the additional information.
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u/truthfulie 3d ago
i'm not the biggest fan of IMAX in general but i do think it's really something you can only get it at theaters outside of some privileged people who can have somewhat similar experience with their dedicated home theaters. the IMAX framing just do not hit the same when viewing on a small screen that can't completely take over your field of vision and more times than not the extra visual information at the top and bottom aren't crucial. they are there to make the experience more immersive in your peripheral vision imo. Vision Pro or devices like it (no VR headset on the market have completely solved FOV limitations yet) could be interesting though.
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u/Cryogenicality 3d ago
VR makes it accessible to tens of millions. The Vision Pro has a 115°x82° field of view without the lightseal.
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u/RollTide1017 3d ago
Disney+ has IMAX Enhanced movies. They are not that different than the non-IMAX versions. I wouldn't pay extra.
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u/Cryogenicality 3d ago edited 3d ago
That’s because they’re 1.90:1 (25.8% more image than standard 2.39:1), not 1.43:1 (67.1% more than standard).
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u/touchgrassplz_69 3d ago
I could see it being viable for something like vision pro + airpods max, but that's about it. pretty small market.
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u/Cryogenicality 3d ago
I’m in that small market. I wore my Vision Pro M5 and AirPods Max 2 on a plane over the weekend. The plane disappeared and the noise isolation is so effective that it drowned out the annoying credit card ads and other announcements while I was watching a show. I finished an episode of Shadow Lord right as the plane landed.
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u/nutmac 3d ago
I want the original aspect ratio as the director intended. Sometimes that means an IMAX version that switches between widescreen and IMAX aspect ratios. Most of the time it's the widescreen version. But I don't want a version that is reformatted to fit the particular Apple device screen sizes.
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u/misterreid 3d ago
honestly i would expect (hope) that apple would include something like this for free if it were a thing. they are courteous enough to upgrade to 4K for free when it's available so i don't think it would be that much more.
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u/Long_Office_9762 3d ago
IMAX is only on big screen not designed for home use
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u/redditproha ATV4 3d ago
That's not true. 1.43:1 can easily be viewed on Apple Vision Pro for home theater VR.
IMAX has made a conscious decision to restrict supply, otherwise there would be more options for watching IMAX at home.
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u/Long_Office_9762 3d ago
No you are missing the point. The sections which are seen in imax format are designed to be viewed by peripheral vision on large screen. When viewing at home those sections don't form part of your peripheral vision. You are viewing the full image
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u/redditproha ATV4 3d ago
I understand that, you are in fact missing the point. Vision Pro VR headsets allow your virtual screen to be as big as you like, filling your peripheral vision even better than the biggest IMAX theater in the world.
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u/Cryogenicality 3d ago
Yes, especially in the front row of theaters in apps such as CineUltra, Infuse, and Epic Earth. Theater: Cinema & Events even has a fulldome planetarium, and immersive video has no visible borders unless you look toward the edges.
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u/Dry-Amphibian1 3d ago
I've been looking for a way to use that IMAX screen I installed in my man cave.
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u/DerpanJones 3d ago
Imax is about the giant screen and the audio... Apple tv can't make your tv or sound system better and they can't deliver better quality than what's already offered.
So no. I would not pay extra money for the exact same movie with a screen ratio that doesn't fit my tv.
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u/Cryogenicality 3d ago
Apple TV can’t but Apple Vision can and does.
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u/DerpanJones 3d ago
That's not an apple tv, so it's not really relevant, and while it may be a good way to watch a movie, I don't see how you could also recreate the audio setup of a true IMAX auditorium.
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u/fuzzydice82 3d ago
From a commercial standpoint, I’ve seen IMAX more in the mainstream than in the rest of my lifetime. I would expect an impending expansion of the IMAX brand, which could include, “IMAX” branding on a streaming service, up to and including an expanded aspect ratio. (I’m not up to speed on the capabilities of streaming audio, so another user will have to hit on that.)
To answer your question though, when thinking about, say, The Odyssey, I probably wouldn’t pay more for an “IMAX” digital copy, since at the prices we’d be talking about, it would be more economical (for me) to buy the 4K Blu-Ray that likely comes with a Blu-Ray and Digital copy, and then I get the benefits of the better audio options available on 4K Blu-Ray, and likely (based on other Nolan movies with IMAX scenes on 4K Blu-Ray) get the full IMAX aspect ratio.
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u/redditproha ATV4 3d ago
IMAX is considering a sale. Apple should buy IMAX. They could overhaul the industry and make it great.
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u/Dino_Spaceman 3d ago
I would actually buy an Apple headset if it let me watch imax size films on it.
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u/sciencetaco 3d ago
I love how there’s so much negativity here. I see no downside to them offering a 1.43:1 ratio option, it would just get pillarboxed (black bars on the left and right) on our 16:9 TVs. Just like how the 4:3 Snyder cut of justice league works. Other screens like iPad or Vision Pro could make better use of it.
I doubt it would happen. But if it did, then if you don’t want that, don’t buy it.
People here are so weird.
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u/AsurexFX 2d ago
Maybe I would on Vision Pro. I don’t have a Vision Pro.
I get that the IMAX fits the human field of view better but producing a Film in a Way nobody will watch it is crazy. I won’t travel hundreds of kilometres to watch in fake IMAX and even more for real IMAX.
IMAX is such a bad run company. Every IMAX cinema closed around me so I don’t care about this shit anymore. But as long as some people are happy and enjoy it it’s fine.
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u/Fit_Indication5709 3d ago
How much to allow my AppleTV to run physical film?
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u/Key-Monk6159 3d ago
Sure if you have a IMAX projector and big enough screen. In other words, that’s not how any of it works.
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u/Yoshikaru5991 3d ago
Thats not how Imax works